Sports briefs for Aug. 6, 2013

Former Pirate Dave Parker has Parkinson’s disease

Former Pittsburgh Pirates star Dave Parker told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review that he has Parkinson’s disease.

Parker said he was diagnosed in February 2012 but only informed a few friends about it.

“There’s no fear,” Parker said. “I’ve had a great life. I always dreamt of playing baseball, and I played. I’m 62 years old and fortunate to make it to this point. I have some beautiful kids that I got to watch grow up and become adults. My fingerprints are on the baseball industry. I feel good about that. I have nothing to feel bad about.”

Parker was a two-time batting champ who won the National League MVP in 1978 and led the Pirates to a World Series title in 1979.

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The first sign of the disease occured when his right hand started shaking. It has since spread but not rapidly.

“I’m nervous with public speaking, being put in any situation where I have to talk for a long time,” Parker said.

Suns’ Beasley arrested for marijuana possession

Beasley was pulled over by police at 1:15 a.m. for a traffic violation. The officer smelled marijuana as he approached the vehicle, according to the police report. After searching the driver’s area, the officer found marijuana.

Beasley, who was identified as the driver, was booked and later released.

Self wouldn’t rule out coaching in NBA

Kansas coach Bill Self told the Oklahoman on Monday night that while he is happy with the Jayhawks, he would not rule out coaching in the NBA if the opportunity came.

“It hasn’t really tempted me because I haven’t had that many people talk to me about it,” Self said during ceremonies in which he was inducted into the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame in Oklahoma City. “But at some point and time, sure, I think it would.

Kansas extended Self’s contract through the 2021-22 season last September that pays him $3.86 million per year. However, he does not have a buyout-penalty clause, so he could take an NBA job without facing any financial repercussions.

“I’m not saying I never would (take an NBA job), but I’m locked in,” Self said.

Self has won 84 percent of his games in 10 years at Kansas, including the 2008 NCAA title. The Jayhawks have won nine Big 12 championships under Self and were national runners-up last year.

Sanchez to start Jets’ exhibition opener

Mark Sanchez will start at quarterback in the New York Jets’ exhibition opener Friday at the Detroit Lions.

Coach Rex Ryan made the announcement Tuesday.

Sanchez and rookie Geno Smith were listed on the team’s latest depth chart as co-starters.

“Mark will start the game,” Ryan said. “But we’ll play Geno with the ones as well. And we’ll keep that rotation going so they’ll both get reps with the ones. Haven’t really decided yet what the play time with the ones will be or snaps and all that.”

Sanchez received boos during the team’s scrimmage on Saturday. Despite that, Ryan said the competition between Sanchez and Smith has been a draw.

“It’s been an even competition,” Ryan said. “We’ve got rotating days and things like that. Certainly (Mark’s) the incumbent. We’ll see how it goes from here. It seemed like the natural thing to do.”

German drugs report sparks calls for names, doping law

BERLIN — A German report into the country’s use of banned substances since 1950 has triggered a storm of reaction and renewed calls for a national anti-doping law.

The report highlights systematic doping across many sports over decades, resembling partly the state-run doping programme in East Germany during the Cold War.

“We need a doping law in this country,” Clemens Prokop head of the country’s athletics federation told reporters on Tuesday. “We also need to extend the statute of limitation (for sanctions) against doping offenders past the current eight years.”

The report, commissioned by the Federal Institute for Sports Science at the request of the German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB), was published under pressure on Monday following a leak in the media at the weekend after it had been kept under wraps for months.

It describes West Germany as using and experimenting with doping in sports since the 1950s, much like its East German neighbour.

The report, conducted by the Humboldt University and the University of Muenster, also raises questions about whether some German footballers were taking drugs at the 1966 World Cup in England as, citing a FIFA document from the same year, three players showed traces of ephedrine. Ephedrine is used as a decongestant but also as a stimulant.

Rangers RHP Lewis out rest of season

Texas Rangers right-handed pitcher Colby Lewis will have surgery to remove bone spurs from his right hip and will miss the rest of the season.

Lewis has not pitched this season as he has been recovering from elbow surgery. He said his elbow feels good but has recently dealt with hip pain.

The hip injury got to the point that it affected his pitching mechanics.

Lewis had been pitching in minor league rehab games and was looking to rejoin the Rangers rotation in a couple weeks.

Lewis is a free agent at the end of the season after getting a one-year, $2 million contract last offseason.